Ramya Haridas. File Image | Photo credit: The Hindu
A section of Congress workers in Thiruvananthapuram raised strong protests against the reported move to field former MP Ramya Haridas as the party’s candidate for the Chirayinkeezhu Assembly constituency.
Criticizing the attempt to field Ms Haridas, who hails from Kozhikode, in the Chirayinkeezhu contest, the protesters said an “outsider” candidate should not be imposed on the constituency. They demanded that the party consider a candidate from Thiruvananthapuram district instead.
Several local leaders, who were earlier part of the potential candidate list, have reportedly lodged a complaint with the party’s central leadership on the matter.
He claims that 11 of the 14 ‘mandalam’ committee presidents in the constituency along with three District Congress Committee (DCC) general secretaries have formally registered their protest against Ms. Haridas’ transfer to the post.
The protesters also pointed out that Chirayinkeezhu is a reserved Scheduled Caste (SC) constituency with a large population of Dalit communities, including members of the Kerala Pulayar Mahasabha, Thandan and Paravan communities. Together, these groups account for nearly 65,000 votes in the constituency, they argued, adding that ignoring local representation could weaken the party’s electoral prospects.
Published – 15 March 2026 21:06 IST
